Criteria for the Practice of Ṭarekat in Malaysia

The absence of clear and uniform criteria for evaluating the practice of ṭarīqah (Sufi orders) in Malaysia has created space for prolonged polemics and, in certain cases, has led to the rejection or prohibition of specific practices by religious authorities. This situation has consequently generated confusion among the public regarding the legitimacy and acceptability of ṭarīqah practices. Previous studies have yet to successfully develop a robust evaluative framework capable of resolving the tension between the Sufi tradition and the demands of religious regulation within a modern context. This study adopts a document analysis approach through a critical examination of selected materials, including authoritative classical Sufi texts (turāth), fatwas and guidelines issued by religious authorities, as well as official documents related to the governance of ṭarīqah in Malaysia. The analysis aims to identify key principles and indicators that may serve as a systematic and authoritative basis for evaluating ṭarīqah practices. The findings identify three fundamental pillars of criteria for the practice of ṭarīqah: first, the authenticity of the scholarly chain of transmission (sanad) and the spiritual lineage of the murshid; second, conformity of teachings and practices with Islamic law (sharīʿah) and the creed of Ahl alSunnah wa al-Jamāʿah; and third, the existence of a clear organizational structure and an appropriate level of institutional oversight by religious authorities. It is hoped that this proposed framework may serve as an initial foundation for policy alignment and the standardization of evaluative approaches to ṭarīqah practices in Malaysia, thereby reducing existing conflicts and providing clearer and more authoritative guidance for ṭarīqah practitioners, the general public, and religious enforcement bodies.

Ṭarīqah, Taṣawwuf, Sufism

1. Abdul Hamid Marzuki. (2020). Sanad Ilmu dan Tarekat: Analisis Kritis dalam Konteks Malaysia. Jurnal Usuluddin, 48(1), 101-120. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Abdul Manam Mohamad (2017). Silsilah Dalam Ilmu Tarekat. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Azmi Ishak. (2018). Integrasi Tarekat Sufi dalam Masyarakat Melayu: Studi Kasus Tarekat Naqsyabandiah di Kedah. Jurnal Melayu, 17(2), 245-265. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Hashim, J. (2021). Undang-undang Pentadbiran Islam dan Kawalan Tarekat di Malaysia. Malayan Law Journal, 2(1), 77-98. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Hassan Abdullah. (2022). Dimensi Psikologi Sosial Tarekat Moden: Mencari Makna dalam Krisis Identiti. Jurnal Hadhari, 14(1), 45-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Jamaluddin, M. (2019). Konflik Autoriti Agama dan Tarekat di Malaysia: Perspektif Fatwa dan Undangundang. Prosiding Persidangan Antarabangsa Islam dan Isu-isu Semasa, 1-15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Mohd Fauzi Hamat. (2023). Tarekat dan Isu Bid'ah: Analisis Fatwa Kontemporari di Malaysia. Jurnal Akidah & Pemikiran Islam, 26(1), 1-20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady. (2019). Sejarah dan Perkembangan Tarekat Sufi di Nusantara. Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Malaya Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Murtadha al-Zabidi. (1994). Ithaf al-Sadah al-Muttaqin. Beirut. Mu’assasah al-Tarikh al-‘Arabi. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ramli Abdul Wahid. (2019). Peranan Tarekat dalam Sejarah Islam di Alam Melayu: Kajian Terhadap Pergerakan Tasawwuf. Jurnal Pengajian Melayu, 30(2), 1-20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Sidek Baba. (2021). Polemik Tarekat di Malaysia: Antara Kebenaran dan Kesesatan. Shah Alam: Karya Bestari. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Zakaria Stapa & Noranizah Abdul Mubin. (2020). Kawalan dan Pemantauan Tarekat di Malaysia: Tinjauan Kritis. Jurnal Syariah, 28(2), 235-256. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Zulkifli Mohamad. (2020). Fatwa Mengenai Tarekat: Antara Tuntutan Syarak dan Realiti Sosio-Politik Malaysia. Kanun: Jurnal Undang-undang Malaysia, 32(1), 1-20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Zakaria Stapa. (2016). Sejauhmana Sandarannya Kepada Amalan Para Sahabat. Kertas yang dibentangkan dalam Seminar Sufi Menurut Pendekatan Wasatiyyah Peringkat Kebangsaan 2016, anjuran Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Jabatan Mufti Negeri Melaka, Institut Wasatiyyah Malaysia (IWM), Jabatan Agama Islam Melaka (JAIM) dan Majlis Agama Islam Melaka (MAIM) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Data Integration in Malaysian Syariah Courts: A Study of Challenges and Solutions
• The Concept of Family Well-Being from the Perspectives of Islam, Western Thought and Malaysia Madani
• Leveraging AI Tools for Islamic Scholarship: Podcast and eBook Innovations in Teaching the Sunni Intellectual Tradition
• Cryptocurrency and Shariah: Analyzing the Implications of Islamic Jurisprudence on Bitcoin and its Ethical Framework
• Islamic Credit Card and its Value-Based Proposition: A Perspective from Maqasid Al-Shariah